June 10, 2008
I really like this genre of art — maybe it’s because of my early love of Anime and Myst. Enjoy!
This piece was built by Alex Holden. Alex says of the project…
The pictured device is a prototype of Joseph Bazalgette’s patent sewer maintenance machine, as demonstrated at the Great Crystal Cyberdrome Exhibition. Its boiler is fired by miasma and it is fitted with a variety of cleaning and pest-control ancillaries. Unfortunately the high manufacturing cost and the temperamental nature of their modified rat brains meant that after the initial batch of fifty had escaped Bazalgette was forced to employ men to maintain London’s sewers. Even today, you can put your ear to a manhole cover in our capital city and hear the distant clanking of brass wheels on brick walkways and the squeal of exterminated rodents.
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Posted by ebrown
March 28, 2008
Those who tell the stories change society.
- Plato
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Posted by ebrown
March 15, 2008
Not according to George Lucas, but what will the fans think?What do you think? Comment below.
| Set in the years between episodes II and III — “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith” — of the big-screen “Star Wars” chronicle, the movie and series present fresh adventures of Jedi warrior Anakin Skywalker, his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and other colleagues. |
| The movie introduces a female Jedi, Ahsoki, who is Anakin’s young apprentice. |
| “It’s like ‘Band of Brothers’ in space, with Jedi,” Lucas, 63, said. “You can tell lots of stories. They come up all the time.” |
| He also is moving forward with a live-action “Star Wars” TV show focusing largely on new characters removed from the Skywalker family. That show will be set in the decades between “Revenge of the Sith” and the period when the original film, 1977’s “Star Wars,” takes place. |
| So can fans ever get enough of “Star Wars”? |
| “I don’t know,” Lucas said. “I’m thankful every year that it keeps going.” |
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Posted by ebrown
March 12, 2008
By E. Brown
I had lunch today with my friend, Tim, who gave me a tour of his offices afterward. What struck me was 2 things:
- Everyone seemed genuinely engaged in what they were working on
- Everyone seemed genuinely happy and content
To some of you who read this, my examinations may be commonplace, yet to others of you this may be foreign and even a little bit envious. I would venture to guess that many of you fall into the second category. You have never experienced a work environment where you were genuinely engaged, believed in what you worked for everyday, and were happy and content to go to work.
Many people I talk to long for this kind of workplace. There are numerous studies that show the value of this kind of workplace. My friend Alex is on a crusade to promote “happy” workplaces. So, what can you do?
Well, you have a couple options. One of which is to look for this kind of organization that you can give yourself to — one that you appreciate and one that appreciates you! Another option is to attempt to create this kind of environment within your current workplace. Is it doable? It depends on the level of influence and determination you have. Explore all your options. Wouldn’t you rather get up excited about what you’re doing for work rather than dragging your rear into a dull lifeless job while waiting for retirement?
It’s possible. I have seen it. Granted, I have seen it in a handful of places, but those are becoming more frequent. Get started today! Bring a Foosball table into the office, have an afternoon that you take the staff to the movies, do something — anything to make work fun and engaging.
BTW- did I mention, Tim’s office was having a mandatory Ping Pong tournament? Everyone had to play singles or doubles. What do you think of that? Mandatory fun!
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Posted by ebrown
March 2, 2008
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Posted by ebrown
February 28, 2008
Writing about learning, innovation, and fun, I had to include the new game being developed by Eskil Steenberg. This is a game that learns while the players and developers do too. Follow the link to learn more about
LOVE.
Eskil Steenberg is a solo game-developer who’s bent on creating an entire massively multiplayer online world single-handedly, using procedural generation techniques that cause the game to build itself by starting with clever rules and exploring them outwards. Based on the reports at Rock, Paper, Shotgun, it sounds like Steenberg’s really got something, and the screenshots are drop-dead knockout gorgeous. |
The game itself, dubbed Love (as in For The Love Of Game Development), is an exploration-based moderately-multiplayer FPS with astounding impressionistic visuals and a procedurally generated universe. Since Steenberg is a one man show, he’s relying on clever maths to build the world for him and then clever gamers to come in and help him figure out where to take it, and what to do with it.
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Posted by ebrown
February 9, 2008
By E. Brown
I was telling a friend about the various projects I consult on. When I brought up online learning and performance management, I used the word “sticky”.
“Wow, now that is a word I haven’t heard since the early days of the Web,” my friend exclaimed.
I knew what he was referring to. Sticky was a word used to describe a Web sites combination of architecture, UI, and content. If a site was sticky it kept the attention of visitors and kept them coming back often. In essence a site retained it’s audience.
Today I use the word sticky in regard to learning. Learning is sticky when:
- It is fun and enjoyable.
- It captures imagination and stirs creativity.
- It engages the learner through interaction and team work.
- It excites and drives the learner to know more.
- It encourages the learner to apply “fun approaches” to work and more.
- It creates a positive and practical experience.
- It increases mental flexibility and agility.
- It is a fresh and new approach to common learning methods.
Ultimately, when a person retains and applies what they learn, then the learning content is sticky. If you are in the business of teaching, training, and development don’t be satisfied with only spreading information. Look for creative, out of the box, and fun ways to make learning…well, Sticky.
Let’s bring back the word “Sticky.”
Related Links
- Online Learning: Retention is Everyone’s Issue
- For Grown Ups Too, Learning Must Be Fun!
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Posted by ebrown
February 4, 2008
Your one stop to review all things on WeirdGuy. Have Fun!
Steve Jobs vs. Amazon’s Kindle
Is Steve out of touch with reality or is he onto the next “insanely great” idea? Read for yourself. Read More
Can Starbucks Come Back?
Wise up Starbucks! You are no longer the only player in this space. Read More
USA Today and Creative Learning — About Time!
Hmmm…sounds vaguely familiar. How can we use these tools to creatively teach and communicate? Read More
Designer Chair For Dr. Evil? (PIC)
OK, this made me laugh. I mean, it is a legit design and I am sure it is very comfortable, but… Read More
Eco Friendly Creative Learning Game
Here, from Sust, is another creative learning game. Teach your child how to build an Eco-Friendly house and more… Read More
Creative Ways To Make Complex Information Simple
I applaud the creativity used and out-of-the-box presenting of complex information. Take this for instance — an org chart. Typically they are presented… Read More
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Posted by ebrown
January 22, 2008
Great for parties and finding new ways to impress your geek friends.
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Posted by ebrown
January 1, 2008
A great list but, by no means comprehensive. Enjoy!
When we launched our Lifehacker Top 10 series back in March we had no idea what a big hit it would be. That Letterman guy’s really onto something! While we’re milking this whole “best of 2007 list” thing, we compiled the top 20 most-viewed Lifehacker Top 10 lists of 2007.
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Posted by ebrown
December 13, 2007
By E. Brown
I have an ongoing debate with my best friend. We tend to disagree about some television programs. She likes Grey’s Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, and Desperate Housewives, while I like shows such as LOST, Heroes, and Battlestar Galactica.
I will make fun of the drama and dysfunction of the shows she watches and she will give me a hard time about the geeky sci-fi make-believe shows I watch. Granted, we watch some of each others shows, but the tell tale sign is that I can busy myself with others things while Brothers & Sisters is on (heck, I can skip it all together) and she can do likewise with my enjoyed programming.
Yet, it occurred to me the other day….
The Difference
The shows I like are make-believe and that is why they are compelling to me. I do not want to watch “real to life” drama because I get enough real world drama every day. Through the news I read, or watch, I understand there is a great amount of hurt, brokenness, and dysfunction within the world without having to watch it. This is voyeurism.
Does this mean I am trying to escape reality? No, there is no way to accomplish that outside of mind altering prescriptions. Call me optimistic, but I like shows were the characters are pitted against challenges that I can relate to, set in creative and imaginative “worlds” where they rise above the pains and sorrows they face. Better to stimulate imagination.
Loss Of Imagination
I have tried to instill in my children the joy of reading. Taking the descriptive language of the author and using their imaginations to create the characters and worlds within their minds-eye. We have been reading such classics as:
- Journey To The Center Of The Earth
- Around The World In 80 Days
- Moby Dick
- 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
- The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader
- The Swiss Family Robinson
- The Silver Chair, and others.
Why is there a loss of wonder and imagination amongst many today? Could it be we are bombarded by the “real world” so much we lose the ability and turn to coping mechanisms because of stress?
Imagine
Imagination is defined as:
the action of forming new ideas and concepts or images; the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful.
Imagination reduces stress. It breeds innovation across vocational fields. It stimulates mental activity. Imagination is fun. It breaks new ground. It looks at issues and problems in a creative new way.
So, how about you? Are you voyeuristic or imaginistic? Let me know in the comments area below.
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Posted by ebrown
December 10, 2007
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Posted by ebrown
November 30, 2007
This says it all — props for adding creative fun to the Olympic brand. Vancouver is a beautiful city and I would love to be there for the festivities.
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Drawn! ran Meomi’s fabulous designs for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic mascots. They just need to add a ‘frop pipe in that Yeti’s mouth and all will be good.
Leave it to Canada to have a cryptozoological beastie like a sasquatch as its Olympic mascot. Earlier today Vancouver 2010 unveiled their Olympic and Paralympic mascots: Quatchi the Sasquatch, Miga the Sea Bear, and Sumi the Thunderbird.
Link (Thanks, Scott!) |
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Posted by ebrown
November 25, 2007
Waiting a little while can save you $$ and frustration.
 Waiting for the price of hyped gadgets to come down is the most sensible strategy, according to research.
David Kuo of Fool.co.uk said: “We’ve tracked some of the top gadgets on the market today and on average, �87.20 has been slashed since a product first launched. If you can hold out until the original hype has died down, you can make some significant savings.”
“However, if you do find the latest technology too tempting, there are some gadgets that hold their value longer than others, but there are no guarantees they will do so over the long term,” Kuo said.
Fool.co.uk found that the Nintendo Wii was still the same price - �179 - as it was in December 2006. However, a Samsung Blu-ray Disc player that went on sale in March 2006 for �800 now cost only �476, a saving of �324. |
One example of waiting for prices to come down being the best option was seen recently when the Apple iPhone was launched in the US. |
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Posted by ebrown
November 16, 2007
The promise and pitfalls of Virtual Worlds — parents need to get involved.
| Kids who are active members of virtual worlds are learning how to socialize, how to be technologically savvy, and how to be good little consumers. |
| Researchers estimate that more than 50 percent of kids on the Internet will belong to such an environment by 2012 |
| “Knowledge is changing. It (used to be that it) was a set of facts, now it’s not so much a ‘what’ but a ‘where,’ in which kids learn how to find information,” Thomas said. “That’s going to be the single most important skill–the ability to adapt to change.” |
| The panelists advised parents to take an active approach with their kids in virtual worlds. Thomas, for example |
| That’s according to a group of academics and researchers who met Wednesday evening at the University of Southern California to discuss the effects of virtual worlds on children today. |
| The panel came together to talk about the promise and pitfalls of virtual worlds from an educational and commercial viewpoint. |
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Posted by ebrown
November 14, 2007
Build your own Hackintosh running OSX Leopard - sweet!
| If the high price tag for Apple hardware has kept you from buying a Mac but you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and get adventurous, you can build your own “Hackintosh“—a PC that runs a patched version of OS X Leopard. What?!, you say. Apple’s move to Intel processors in 2006 meant that running OS X on non-Apple hardware is possible, and a community hacking project called OSx86 launched with that goal in mind. Since then, OSx86 has covered major ground, making it possible for civilians—like you and me!—to put together their own Hackintosh running Mac OS 10.5. Today, I’ll show you how to build your own high end computer running Leopard from start to finish for under $800. |
| The only problem with the install at the moment is that it won’t boot without the Leopard DVD in the DVD drive at boot—meaning that every time you reboot you’ll need to make sure that the Leopard DVD is sitting in the DVD drive. It’s not a dealbreaker for me by any means, but it’s an annoyance. |
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Posted by ebrown
November 7, 2007
The popular MMOG EVE is now native for the Mac users. No longer do you have to slog along using BootCamp or Parallels.
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As announced at the 2007 EVE Online Fanfest, EVE Online has now been released as both a Mac and a Linux client, and already news reports are cropping up.
More � |
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No Comments » | Animation, Art, Community, Creativity, Entertainment, Fun, Games, Gaming, Mac, Web | Permalink
Posted by ebrown
October 26, 2007
Steve Ballmer has been the CEO of Microsoft since year 2000. As you probably know, he is a bit of an eccentric guy. To date, Steve has produced dozens of absolutely “outstanding” quotations which definitely should be known. Here is a list of Steve Ballmer’s more famous quotes from Google to iPod bashing.
- “I’m going to f*king bury that guy, I have done it before, and I will do it again. I’m going to f*king kill Google.” [Sydney Morning Herald]
- “Developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers…” [Watch at YouTube]
read more | digg story
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No Comments » | Business, Ethics, Fun, Gaming, General, Humor, Mac, Management, Quotes, Tech, Windows, iPod | Permalink
Posted by ebrown
October 26, 2007
From: YPulse | By: anastasia
The folks at Survey U released some data about Macs on campus — it appears they’re making a comeback:
The success of Apple’s student program is a significant contributor to its on-campus momentum, with more than 4 of 5 (83 percent) of Mac-owning students having purchased their Mac under a student plan that includes a free iPod with Mac computers sold to students. Slightly less than a third (30 percent) of Dell’s collegiate sales are made under a student plan, while the remaining computer manufacturers have not fully leveraged the power of student purchase programs.
The impact of the iPod on computer purchase decision-making is undeniable…
read more…
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